Newspapers / Elon University Student Newspaper / April 7, 1983, edition 1 / Page 8
Part of Elon University Student Newspaper / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
Page 8 sports The Pendulum Thursday, April 7, 1983 Elon’s big-league connection Osteen^ Krol hope to follow fathers into pro ball David Ofteen ^Anytime your dad u a big league coach or player, you'll have extra pressure on you to perform.* —Coach Bob McBee bj Jod Mucas Here’s a message to idl the old timers and former major leaguers who think they have a monopoly on baseball stories: There are two individuals here at Elon who can spin baseball yams with the best of them, and they’re not retirees, either. They are students and basebidl players. John Krol and David Osteen have met more players, seen more stadiums and attended more big league games than most could imagine. The only people who have been exposed to the game more are players and coaches in the major leagues. “I would go into the stadium and meet these players, not realizing I would look back and be able to say ‘I saw this great player or that player’ because I was so young at the time,” C^een, a sophomore from Annville, Pa. said. “I grew up with Sandy Koufax, Maury Wills, Willie Davis, Wes Parker and didn’t even think about it.” Osteen’s father, by the way, is Qaude Osteen, a former premier pitcher with the Do^er organization in the 1960s and early 19708. He is now a pitching coach with the Philadelphia Phillies. “You don’t realize why people flip out when they ask ‘Do you know Ted Simmons?’ and you say ‘Yes,’ ” John Krol, a ^^nston-Salem senior, said. “To me it’s no big deal because I’ve known them for years.” Krol’s father. Jack Krol, joined the St. Louis organization as a third baseman in 1966, later becoming third base coach. He is presently first base coach for the San Diego Padres. Dad’s laflneiKe on Careers The younger Krol transferred to Elon from East Carolina his sophomore year. His record thus far this season is 1-0, with an 11-strikeout performance against Lenoir-Rhyne, March 30. Krol, a sociology/human services major, said his father naturally had an influence on his career choice because baseball was always there. “I grew up liking baseball because it was my dad’s job,” Krol said. “I had never spent a summer in North Carolina before because I always went with him. I even started off playing infield because he did.” Krol, like Osteen, has met his share of players, including Cardinal greats Bob Gibson and Lou Brock. His favorite is Ken Reitz, a former Cardinal third baseman. “He played for my dad in the minor leagues, and took up alot of time with me,” Krol recalled. “You could go up to him after he struck out five times and made errors and talk to him after the game. There are some others I wouldn’t think of going near after a game.” Both agreed that some players don’t act like the press sometimes describes them. Osteen said that Pete Rose would make it a point to talk to him, that George Hendrick is courteous, even though he doesn’t have a good relationship with the press. Yean la the Minors Osteen looks back on the years his dad spent with the Dodgers as some of the best years of his life. “They’re a great organization,” he said. “I grew up around baseball, and automatically took a liking to it because I always saw my dad playing it.” The senior Osteen started his career with the Cincinnati Reds after high school, moving to the Washington Senators and finally to the Dodgers, where he pitched in the 1965 and 1966 World Series. After stinte with Houston (1974) and the Chicago White Sox, he became a pitching coach for the Cardinals. During his stay with the Dodgers Osteen was in Manager Walt Alston’s pitching rotations that included Sandy Koufax, Don Drysdale, and Don Sutton. Osteen’s career record of 196-195 included a World Series ring in 1965 and two 20-win seasons (1969 and 1972). He was winning pitcher in the 1970 All-Star game. He became pitching coach for the Phillies in 1982. Pro Aspirations The younger Osteen, like Krol, was drafted out of high school by the Cardinals, but, faced with a possibility of lesser money in the big leagues, Osteen decided to go for experience. He hopes to be drafted again after his junior year. “A Cardinals’ scout told my dad there was someone in the Cardinal organization going to Elon (Krol, coincidentally), and, although I didn’t know anyone from North Carolina, things have worked out all right,” Osteen said. Both players are certain they want to follow their fathers’ footsteps into a major league career. “If I don’t go into baseball I don’t know what I would do right now,” Osteen said. “I’ve been counting on that all of cont. on p. 9 John Krol Golden Girls open with road losses by AUda Gaddy Staff Writer The Golden Girls softball team got their 1983 season off to a rough start last week. The team traveled to Wingate College and Catawba College for their season opener and lost two double headers. During warm-ups nervousness and jitters prevailed throughout the infield and outfield. By the time the gam^ got underway, the butterflies and jitters settled and the Golden Girls played a tough defense. Despite the defensive effort, they came up empty. During the first four innings the bats were cold for both teams, but came alive in the last three iimings. The Lady Bulldogs scored the first two runs of the game. The Golden Girls rallied in the fifth and seventh innings, but the rally was silenced by the strong defense of the Lady Bulldogs. On March 30 the Golden Girls were on the road again. This time they played the Lady Braves of Catawba College. The Golden Girls got off to a slow start by losing the first game 9-2. In the second game the Golden Girls came to life. They juniped ahead of the Braves 6-2 going into the bottom of the fifth inmng, but the hosts rallied to tie. During the next two innings neither team scored. In the eighth inning, a few errors by Elon and solid base hits by Catawba gave the Lady Braves the second game of the evening, 7-6. The Golden Girls are now 0-4 in the conference and overall. Luncheon Buffet Monday, Friday & Sunday Six Entrees, Salad, Soup & Egg Roll $3 53 Open 7 Days A Week: Lunch - 11:30 - 2:30, Mon.'-Frid., Sun. Dinner - Mon.-Thurs. All Day Till lO'OQ Friday All Day Till 11:00 _ iiAn HUHAN ^CHriiESE RESTAURANT 107 Chapel Hill Rd. Burlington, NC 226-2157 or 228-9453 •Private Dining Room •Dine In Or Take Out •Beverage Available •Fast Service Reservations Available For Large Parties 10% discount to Elon students & faculty
Elon University Student Newspaper
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
April 7, 1983, edition 1
8
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75